British cyclist Chris Froome successfully defended his Tour de France title on Sunday, and has now won the multi-stage race three times in the past four years.
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It was Team Sky’s fourth Tour triumph in five years after Bradley Wiggins prevailed in 2012 before Froome succeeded him in 2013.
“I maintained the white jersey and I’m super happy with that”, he said.
Froome said: “My team mates this yellow jersey is for you as it is for David Brailsford”.
Greipel had won four stages last year but apart from losing a photo-finish to Mark Cavendish on the third stage, had not come close this year until the Champs Elysees.
He added: “You’re going the through the motions of racing and that Tour in particular I got stronger in that third week and won that last time trial”.
Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurain have won the most Tours with five each and Froome plans to give himself every chance of equalling those greats. I hope I can do that next year.
Yet that’s not to say this was a Tour without challenges or drama for the Kenyan born rider – far from it.
Knowing he had such a comfortable lead riding at the start of the final stage, Froome shared both beer and champagne with his teammates.
Froome rode a yellow bike to go with his yellow jersey, helmet, gloves and shoes.
“He can do it, definitely, the way he won the Tour, that (form) isn’t going to go anywhere for two weeks”.
“I’m still learning so much about the sport, and I think tactically I’ve shown this year that I have matured, I have learnt a lot, that’s probably why I’ve been able to race way I have this year”, he said.
The 31-year-old is grateful to the public and he knows he also owes his success to his team mates, including Wouter Poels, who kept him safe and formed the most formidable team assembled in years.
Once Froome took yellow on stage eight, there was rarely a moment he looked in danger – and when he did it was down to crashes on Mont Ventoux and on the approach to Saint-Gervais Mont Blanc rather than the actions of others.
But Quintana was not at the same level as past year, when he tried to corner Froome during the third week and gained time in the closing stages.
It’s the kind of incident that could have made this one of the most spectacular Tours of all time, along with the collapsing inflatable arch that knocked young Briton Adam Yates off his bike the day before Froome’s own troubles.
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“This Tour has obviously taken place against the backdrop of awful events in Nice and we pay tribute to those who have lost their lives”.
